"It was the best feeling in the world", Sharapova said about stepping on court again for a professional match.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time", she said.
Not all of her peers have welcomed her return but Sharapova received a good reception when she was introduced to the crowd and subsequently walked out on court alongside her opponent in Germany. "I don't think that's right and (she is) definitely not someone I can say I look up to any more".
But this is what I've done for so long.
Maria Sharapova of Russian Federation wipes her face during her women's singles match against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic during the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, June 1, 2015.
The Italian held on to take the set to 4-3 but ultimately the Russian's superiority showed with a break to love and an easily won final service game.
Prior to today, the most games the wily Italian Roberta Vinci had ever taken off Sharapova in any given set was two.
After 15 months, Maria Sharapova is back. Others said she had served her time, and since Grand Slam champions can ask for an unlimited number of wild cards, she was entitled to play. In the third set Anett dominated, she will face Sharapova or Makarova next on Friday. "If you see Facebook and Instagram, always 'Sharapova-Vinci, Sharapova-Vinci, first match.' It was tough for me to stay focused but I tried to enjoy the moment".
Trekker missing for 47 days rescued in Nepal, friend dead
A trekker has been found alive almost seven weeks after going missing in Nepal , but help came too late for his girlfriend. Rescuers combed the area for two weeks before suspending efforts, but resumed the search a week ago.
Sharapova, 30, has pleaded that she had been taking meldonium, once a permitted substance for athletes, for medical reasons for 10 years.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her ban to 15 months, while finding Sharapova was not an "intentional doper" but "bore some degree of fault" for relying on her agent to check the prohibited list for changes and failing to ensure he had done so.
Due to the suspension, Sharapova lost her ranking. If she makes it to the weekend in Stuttgart, she might have enough points to get into qualifying in Paris by right, while the cutoff for direct entry to the main draw at Wimbledon is May 23. Organizers in Madrid and Rome followed the example and handed her a wild card for their events in May as well.
One gets the sense that the other players are exhausted of the attention surrounding Sharapova's return and Johanna Konta, the world no. 7 who played earlier in the day before the Russian, said as much.
Sharapova said "it's not my job" to think about other people's comments. "It's a lovely chapter in her life", said Sharapova when asked about Williams. "Articles, they go away, that is not life".
"I've been offered wildcards... and I'm accepting them to be able to compete in the draw".
Having arrived early with very little fanfare, there was no diva-like late arrivals on court for practice from Maria Sharapova. Halep won 67% first serve points her, while Strycova struggled a lot on serve (she won just 16 points on 43 played).
Konta recorded a 7-6, 3-6, 6-1 win over Japan's Naomi Osaka to progress today.
Comments